Alaska Day 2: Spectacular Seward + Kenai Fjords Nat’l Park
Seward is a seaside village located in south central Alaska about 2.5 hours south of Anchorage. Tucked between mountains, glaciers and the sea, it is the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park and home to some of the most gorgeous scenery I have ever laid eyes on. If you visit this region of Alaska, it is not to be missed!
my seward mini itinerary
KENAI Fjords National Park
I only had one full day in Seward, so I booked a tour into Kenai Fjords National Park and Aialik Bay with Seward Ocean Excursions. While there are many tour operators in Seward, I chose Seward Ocean Excursions because they have a fleet of small boats, with a 6-person limit per tour. The polar opposite of my experience in Whittier! They also follow and promote sustainable tourism guidelines and have received an Adventure Green Alaska certification, so they are the kind of company I always like to support!
I booked my tour on the very last day of the season to see glaciers. I spoke with owner Bixler McClure while I was still home in NY. Talk about amazing customer service! He explained that the weather had been all over the place in the days leading up my trip. He could only promise that they would do their best to get us out of Resurrection Bay, but I would get to see the best of what they could show me. Happy to say they delivered!
I boarded their largest boat called the Wayward Lynx, a 7 person Hewescraft fishing vessel. Sr. Captain Callie Davenport was our guide for the day. With over a decade of experience, she was a wealth if information and super passionate about her job. After a safety briefing, we made our way from the marina out into Resurrection Bay.
Resurrection bay
Resurrection Bay is one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been. The silt and sediment gives the water a beautiful emerald hue that can almost appear silver depending on how the light hits it.
The mist around the boat that morning created a surreal setting (watch the video) that I can only describe as being ripped from the pages of a fairytale in an enchanted forest by the sea, where the birds are singing, the marine life is splashing about and starfish dance along the shores. Total Little Mermaid vibes! Obviously there were no dancing starfish, but you do see a lot of them on the rocks during low tide!
We saw sea otters floating on their backs, several pairs of bald eagles soaring through the sky, puffins staging to fly south, harbor seals sunning on the shores and endangered stellar sea lions sprawled across the rocks.
If you’re lucky you may see a pod of orcas on the hunt.
It’s an area rich in marine life, made up of rocky coves, bays, islands and cascading waterfalls. Spire Cove’s tall, rugged rock formations jutting out of the water is one of the most memorable sites in the bay. Waves have eroded the coastline over time forming spires, caves, and arches. These are some of the most magnificent.
Stellar Sea Lions near No Name Island
Spire V
Resurrection Bay
Rock Formation in Resurrection Bay
Cheval Island
Puffins near Spire Cove
Waterfalls Eve
Spire Cove
Spire Cove
Being that the boat was small, getting into Aialik Bay was a bit bumpy but Captain Callie navigated us smoothly through an area called Chicken pass. Eventually we made our way into Holgate arm to see the Holgate Glacier, which is a tidewater glacier that is fed by the Harding Ice Field. Holgate Glacier is still advancing and there was a lot of ice floating around that had recently calved off the glacier. Watching and hearing a glacier calve is wild. It’s loud and the ice is so heavy that a large piece can rock big boats far in the distance. We hoisted a chunk of glacier ice that was floating nearby onto the boat for a closer look and took some photos. You can see it in the gallery below.
Holgate Glacier
Holgate Arm
Glacier Ice
Icebergs
Me in front of Holgate Glacier
A sea otter floats by
Bald Eagles Hanging by the Harbor
Normally the tour would continue to Aialik Glacier at the top of Aialik Bay, but we had to turn back shortly after Holgate Glacier because there were reports of rough seas quickly approaching. The bays in Kenai Fjords National Park go straight into the North Pacific Ocean. Resurrection Bay opens directly into the Gulf of Alaska. I was okay with heading back, I had seen enough glaciers for 2 days! The map on the left shows where we were for reference.
When we got further out past No Name Island, I kept looking towards the ocean hoping to see orcas, but they were elsewhere that day. Kind of like the Belugas yesterday! Learning about the wildlife in the area was fascinating. Humpbacks spend time in Kenai Fjords National Park earlier in the summer. They go there to do communal bubble-net feeding, which Captain Callie said is quite a spectacle. I would go back to Seward just to witness that.
After we got back into Resurrection Bay we boated around the nearby islands. We saw stellar sea lions hanging out on a rock by No Name Island. We also passed by Fox Island, Rugged Island, and saw harbor seals on the shores of Cheval Island. It was interesting to learn that even though these islands are right next to each other, they are made of different kinds of rock. This earth is such a fascinating place. That’s also why I love intimate tours like this, you walk away with so much knowledge.
TIME TO EAT
We returned to the marina around 2pm and I was starving. I was told to check out Firebrand BBQ and order the crab legs. I will always take recommendations from the locals! The crab legs were good and worth the visit, but the sides – potato salad and beans- really lacked in flavor. I recommend sticking with the crab legs and a beer if you go!
Later that evening I met my new friends that I had made on the glacier cruise in Whittier the day before for dinner. Ironically we were both headed to Seward and exchanged info at the end of the tour so that we could connect for a meal. Lucky for me they had a reservation at The Cookery, which is widely known as the best restaurant in town. It was delicious. As a food reporter in the best city in the world, I was impressed. They are known for their fried chicken. I was skeptical of fried chicken in Alaska, but so don’t snooze on it. We shared everything! Passed our plates around the table! We had the mushroom toast (not pictured) fried chicken, meatballs + polenta, salmon and steak, We had dessert too and ate it so fast I can’t remember what it was! Haha! Make reservations in advance during the busy summer season. You won’t want to go to Seward and miss out on a meal there. Trip Advisor has better pictures that the ones I took of the food. I rushed because I didn’t want to be annoying guest trying to snap perfect photos of food when everyone was hungry!
seward extras
Aside from what I did and where I stayed, here are some tips for other activities + accommodations in the area for those who plan ahead and have more time.
ACTIVITIES
Kayaking in Bear Glacier Lagoon – This is the ONE thing I didn’t get to do that I really would have liked to. The visuals are bananas. One of the women on my Resurrection. Bay tour showed me her photos. WOW. Here are some companies that offer kayaking in Seward and the surrounding area.
Alaska SeaLife Center – it’s Alaska’s premier public aquarium and only permanent marine mammal rehabilitation center
EATS
Resurrect Art Coffee House – 320 Third Ave, Seward, AK 99664-9900
Seward Brewing Company – 139 4th Ave, Seward, AK 99664
The Lone Chicarron – 215 4th, Seward, AK 99664
ACCOMMODATIONS
Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge – located in a remote area of Fox Island
Seward Windsong Lodge – 31772 Herman Leirer Rd, Seward, AK 99664
Harbor 360 Hotel – 1412 4th Ave, Seward, AK 99664